Seaside Nightmares
by PhoenixFireBlade
Summary: The gang decide to invade Zanya's relative's villa by the sea. They thought the summer would go as planned; swimming, tanning, partying, stuff like that. But things take an unexpected turn as someone from Zanya's past crashes the fun…
1. Chapter 1

"Thanks for having us over, Zanya!" Gao exclaimed.

They were standing in front of a villa that belonged to a relative of Zanya's. By hook or by crook, they managed to find out (who knows how they did it) that one of Zanya's relatives owns a villa by the sea.

"You guys wouldn't stop bothering me until I said yes so it wasn't really to my consent," Zanya replied to him.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey Zanya, heard your relatives got a villa?" Kuguru asked.<em>

_"What?" he asked back._

_"They do right?" Gao pestered the boy._

_"Yeah, I guess."_

_"You know it's beside the sea right?" Kiri asked._

_'Dammit, they know everything,' he thought as he gave a slow nod._

_"Summer is really a pain without clear skies, seas, beaches, you know?" Baku asked, smirking at Zanya. The indigo haired boy heaved an exhausted sigh._

_'I think I know where you guys are going with this…' he thought as he tuned out everything else they reasoned with him._

* * *

><p>"Do you have the key?" Jin asked him, throwing his backpack down at the doorstep.<p>

Zanya nodded before he unlocked the door. Gao and Tetsuya put one foot in and stopped right there.

"Get in already," Tasuku mumbled, swinging his sling bag around.

"It's-" Gao started.

"-just-" Tetsuya continued.

"SO AWESOME!" the both of them squealed. Tasuku, Kuguru, Kazane, Kiri, Baku and Jin stood on tippy toes, trying to take a peek of the inside. Megumi stayed emotionless though she did inch closer to the rest of them. Zanya sighed at their response.

"Why don't you get in then squeal?!" he asked, pushing the two blocking the doorway in onto the tiled floor.

"Oof! Hey!" Tetsuya exclaimed.

"Whaddya do that for?!" Gao asked angrily.

"We all have luggage and my feet are sore," Zanya replied, stretching his legs a little, rubbing his sock against Gao's butt.

"Dude, get your sock off my butt!" Everyone else sweat dropped at the sight of Zanya twirling his sock in circles a little while still against his butt, Gao immediately jumping away and hiding behind a sofa while peeking at them.

* * *

><p>"And that's the end of the tour around the house."<p>

"Wow, that's a lot of info," Kazane said.

"I think the bigger problem instead of remembering all the features of this house is sorting out the rooms," Jin said, cutting Kazane's train of thought.

"Sure thing. Who gets which room?" Kuguru asked.

"I'll take the downstairs guest room, if you guys don't mind," Tasuku said, heading over to put down his stuff in the room.

"I think I'll join you, actually," Jin mentioned and followed him in.

"Then how about Kuguru, Megumi and I take the one with maroon curtains upstairs?" Kazane asked, dragging Kuguru over to her.

"Sure, go ahead," Zanya said. The girls picked up their luggage and ran up the stairs to settle into their room.

"Then what about the rest of us?" Gao asked.

"There are five of us..." Kiri mumbled to himself.

"Three can take one room and two can take another," Baku suggested.

"Actually, I want to take my own room myself. You guys can divide the other two rooms among yourselves," Zanya stated, swinging his sling bag over his shoulder and heading up to his own room.

"Why don't you keep to your side of the room?!" the four heard Tasuku scream at Jin.

"Oh come on, you're not using that space anyways!"

"Still leave me and my space alone would you?"

"I'll think about it, prodigy."

"Okay, so let's agree. Whoever we share the room with, we do not put our stuff on the other person's space," Kiri said. The others nodded in agreement as they continued to listen to Tasuku and Jin's bickering.

* * *

><p>"Girls, how are you guys?" Gao asked, stepping into the room beside Zanya's. The girls just finished unpacking and laid out a futon for Megumi as they turned to see him.<p>

"We're good, I guess."

"How did you guys divide the rest of the rooms?" Megumi asked. "Oh and was that Tasuku's scream we heard?"

"Yeah, Jin was bothering him," Gao answered. "Baku and Kiri share one room while Tetsuya and I share one. Zanya prefers his own room."

'As expected of that guy...' Kuguru thought.

"What are our plans?" Kazane asked.

"I think we're either lazing around the house or going down to the beach later. You guys wanna come with us if we do go?"

"Of course we're going, that's why we brought our swimsuits," Megumi answered.

"Is Zanya going?" Kuguru asked.

"I haven't asked him yet. But I was thinking of going down to see Tasuku and Jin first," Gao replied. "Could you ask him for me?"

"I... guess."

* * *

><p>"Zanya, are you here?" Kuguru called out as she knocked on his door.<p>

"Yeah, come in."

"Gao and the others were just wondering if you would like to join us to go down to the beach later. You in?" she asked, closing the door.

"Yeah, sure thing. But I was thinking that we should just buy some food and rice or something from the market nearby. You know, for dinner," he replied.

"Good point. You want us to go?"

"No, I think I'll manage on my own. Thanks though."

"Hey, you never said you had a BBQ grill in the garage!" Gao exclaimed as he busted in without knocking.

"Gao please knock before you come in!" Zanya shouted.

"Sorry, man. Anyways, like I was saying... Can we do BBQ tonight?"

"Not a bad idea, Gao..." Kuguru replied, tilting her head to the side a little, falling into her happy imagination of the BBQ.

"Then I'll just go now," Zanya finished and slipped out of the room to the garage to get his bike.

* * *

><p>"The sea feels so awesome!" Gao yelled out as he jumped right into the waves. The rest of the group ran onto the beach, joining Gao in the water. Tasuku decided to swim out deeper while the others had fun splashing around.<p>

"Gao don't do it in my face!"

"Jin you splash me and you're dead."

"Baku with splashes like that, you can send me out to the ocean!"

"Hey guys, one of my bananas is floating away!"

Tasuku sighed at the group as he paddled the water to stay afloat while looking back at them toy around with each other. Just then, he saw something, or someone, in the fog near the bottom of the rocky cliff.

"Hello?" he called out shakily.

"I-is someone there?"

* * *

><p><strong>Phoenix: Cliff hanger, I know. Sorry Tasuku.<strong>

**Tasuku: I don't think I want to know what's that, actually.**

**Phoenix: Readers, forewarning. This story is going to be really bland because I can't describe stuff in a very lively way, sorry. It's supposed to be a little creepier but I'm just no good at that stuff. **

**Megumi: Isn't there something you're forgetting?**

**Phoenix: Right, thanks. I'm going to update really slow this time around so please bear with it. Thank you all for reading my story, please review and forgive my updating speed! **


	2. Chapter 2

Tasuku squinted at the figure. It was hard to see through the fog but he could. He saw a shoulder-length haired girl. Her hair tone was hard to make out with the extra layer of greyish white, but he gauged the colour to be somewhere near Zanya's hair colour.

"Hello?" he called out again, this time extremely fearful. He even let go but he was in the sea so no one noticed anyway.

The antisocial figure, as if it noticed Tasuku, fled away along the rocks. He felt a sudden rush of panic, like that figure wasn't supposed to be there, as if it wasn't alive. Not supposed to be, anyway. His curiousity wanted to swim in its direction but his sensible side directed his feet and hands to propel him back to his friends.

"I must be hallucinating," he concluded.

* * *

><p>He made it back to his friends in mere seconds, swimming faster than he expected himself to. They were still splashing each other, but it seemed to be less aggressive now. Tasuku simply swam past all of them and got back on the beach and sat under a parasol.<p>

'I think that's enough swimming for now,' he thought. Kuguru excused herself from the others and came up to Tasuku as Zanya came down the stone path to join them.

"Tasuku-senpai, are you alright?" He snapped out of his train of thought and turned to face her. She couldn't help but look away a little, she wasn't used to seeing that much of his skin exposed. Usually the clothes he wore covered him up completely.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he replied, resting his face on his palm. Tasuku got up and away from the girl, still feeling somewhat bothered by the image he saw as it replayed again and again in his head. He was about to head up to the house but Zanya stopped him.

"Senpai, where are you going?"

"I'm fine, I'm just heading back to the house," he said, shrugging Zanya off.

"No. Something's wrong. What happened?"

"I hallucinated," came the reply. He was about to walk past when Zanya grabbed his arm and harshly dragged him back onto the beach.

"What are you doing?!" came his reaction to Zanya's tight grip on him.

What Tasuku didn't know was that Zanya could read people better than he let on. He could sense some kind of anxiety and confusion in his eyes, they looked a little distracted. And Zanya wanted to crack open his thoughts by firstly, spending a little time with him.

* * *

><p>"Oh hey Zanya. Come to join the fun?" Gao asked as he saw Zanya and Tasuku trot down the stone pathway.<p>

"Yeah. I brought us a beach volleyball if you guys wanna play," Zanya said.

"Sure thing, but only if you can find us a net to use. Without it, everything's gonna be unfair," Jin stated.

"Since when did you care about fairness?" Megumi asked but Jin simply ignored her question.

"Good point, we don't have a net..." Zanya thought to himself.

"Then how about we change the game to Monkey in the Middle? We don't need a net for that," Kazane suggested.

"Great idea, but who will be the middle person?" Tetsuya asked. Everyone looked at Kiri unanimously and smiled at him.

"What? You guys want me to be the middle?" he asked.

"You are shorter, kid. That will make it more interesting and challenging for you to jump and grab the ball," Megumi explained.

"Hey, don't make fun of my height!"

"Don't get the wrong idea Kiri. We are not making fun of you, we are simply offering you the spot in the middle because you are the best candidate for it. Take this as a compliment that we are all stepping aside for you to take the spot," Baku said, smirking at him.

"Oh, I am very, VERY honoured!" Kiri replied sarcastically as he stood in his place with the others enclosing him in a circle.

* * *

><p>"Baku, heads up!" Gao called as he tossed the ball gracefully over Kiri's head.<p>

Baku caught it as Kiri ran over to him, looking out for an opportunity to come by. Too bad for the shorter one, Baku had a firm grip on the multi-coloured ball, and looked over his shoulder to find someone he could launch the ball at.

"Tetsuya, above you!" Kiri reacted really quickly though, as he leapt after the ball the moment it left Baku's hands. Unfortunately, he was only able to hit, not catch the ball as it rolled off course and right to Tasuku. But just before the Boy Wonder could get it, it rolled into the waves and was carried out into the water.

"I'll go get it," Tasuku decided as he waddled in after the ball, which was sitting on the surface of the water. Just as he laid his hands on the ball, he saw a face in the water beneath him.

The same face he saw before at the bottom of the cliff.

Just as he was about to run back, he felt a sharp pain in his left leg. A blood-covered, scrawny hand ran through and left a moderately deep cut with its long nails. He winced but wouldn't let out a sound. The blood was flowing into the sea and he knew it wasn't going to be pretty if he got infected.

So he limped back to the beach and carried himself on all fours as he reached shallow water. He constantly knocked the ball forward with his hands as his friends came over to help him. But he collapsed from shock and pain right when they got around him and were about to carry him back.

"Tasuku?!"

"What happened?!"

"Say something to us!"

But all these cries of worry were faint in the distance to Tasuku, who had passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, guys, I'm quite sure I'm not doing the best job with the descriptions but I hope you can at least understand what I'm trying to say -.-" And I've decided I'm going to make Tasuku one of the main people getting targeted in the story. Sorry(notsorry) Tasuku. Please read, review and be patient with me! Thanks guys!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

The light-blue haired teen opened his eyes slowly. He felt slightly groggy and weak as he attempted to move his muscles in his left leg but all he felt was excruciating pain. A groan slipped from his lips and immediately, he heard light footsteps coming over to him.

"How are you feeling, senpai?" Zanya asked him, using a suffix instead of his name.

"Okay, I guess," he replied, sitting up with the other's help. "Where are the other guys?"

"They're down at the beach, claiming they know how to barbecue meat. Heck, they even said that they'd bring up a plate for me and you twenty minutes ago. And they said to give them ten," Zanya said, rolling his eyes a little.

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>They went back down the rock path with Tasuku clinging onto Zanya's shoulder. They walked slowly, and sometimes Tasuku would lose his footing and Zanya would have to catch him before anything happened.<p>

"I'm sorry for putting you through this," Tasuku said apologetically.

Zanya didn't give him any reply, silently giving support all the way down. He even avoided eye contact. Tasuku couldn't help but feel some sort of worry just start up inside of him. It was strange, really, because Zanya's his fan.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked. Zanya sighed.

"You could say that."

* * *

><p>They made it down slowly and walked, well, Tasuku limped slightly, towards the others.<p>

"Guys, you said you'd bring us a plate," Zanya said. The others looked at him worriedly and just a little guiltily.

"Well, I suppose we did try to get some to you…" Gao replied sheepishly. "But there was a little problem." Tasuku felt a smile suddenly creep up onto his face.

"What is it?"

"Some of the meat… burned?" Gao answered, his sentence becoming a question at the end of it. Zanya almost got mad but managed to keep his cool.

"Let me do it for you guys," he said, stepping in and barbecuing the meat confidently.

Tasuku found his skill at doing these things almost endearing. The way he flipped the food and his concentration on it, the Boy Wonder felt as if there was someone who could possibly rival him in cooking; he's learned the basics of it since he needs to do his own meals.

But suddenly, he felt some sort of sensation arouse inside of him, as if something or someone was staring at his back. He took a quick glance as to not let them notice his fear and turned back just as quick. Something wasn't right and he knew it.

"It's just that simple," Zanya announced, handing a slice of the BBQ to everyone. They all bit away at the food, and soon after, called for seconds.

"Can't you guys wait? I know you're anxious for the last piece and all, but I barbecued the exact amount needed for one round," Zanya explained, putting the last piece onto a plate and bringing it over to Tasuku.

"Thanks." Zanya still had no reply for him though. He was giving a rather silent treatment.

The night went by pretty quickly with Gao and Baku calling for seconds all the time, while Zanya struggled to keep up with their pace. As all of them retired back to the house, Jin and Baku offered to help Tasuku to the house. The one clad in white only followed the trio slowly behind, trying to figure out Tasuku's wounds on his left leg.

How could he have gotten them?

What made them?

Was there even an answer?

If there was an answer, Tasuku wasn't helping by keeping it to himself.

* * *

><p>Tasuku sat back down immediately after getting into the house. Jin and Baku followed suit, plopping down onto a sofa in the living room while Zanya and the others went off to clean up and prepare for the night. It wasn't until when everyone was already in their pajamas when Zanya came back down the stairs, looking for Tasuku.<p>

"Do you want me to treat your leg before you sleep?" he asked, holding up the first-aid kit.

"I guess," Tasuku answered, getting out of the guest room and following Zanya.

"Just sit still and don't move no matter how bad the pain is and I promise I will not screw up," Zanya told the older boy, sitting down cross-legged on the carpeted floor while Tasuku sat comfortably on a three-seated sofa. Tasuku nodded to Zanya's 'terms and agreements' as the other cut off the bandages that were previously dressed by him.

"I still think something's bothering you," Zanya suddenly brought up. Tasuku's eyes widened as he thought back to what he saw the entire day.

"You're quite good at analyzing thoughts and expressions," Tasuku replied.

"Senpai, what exactly is going on?"

"I've been seeing things I think I'm not supposed to," Tasuku said.

"Honestly, distress is written all over your face. That's why I'm asking," Zanya stated.

"Was my usual mask not convincing enough?" Tasuku asked, feeling a pinch of slight failure and annoyance. He worked so hard to learn to control that mask of his, but Zanya saw through it almost immediately. Had his hard work not been enough to achieve what he wanted?

"No, it's convincing. I just happen to be able to see through it, that's all," the other replied, finishing up on the bandages.

"Since when?" Tasuku asked.

"Since when what? What are you talking about?"

"Since when have you been able to detect distress in me?" Tasuku clarified, his voice going a little cold.

"The afternoon when you wanted to go back to the house. You know, when I dragged you back to the beach," Zanya replied, standing up from the carpet.

"You sound a little moody. Get some sleep," the indigo haired one told Tasuku as he stretched. "See you in the morning."

"Sure…" Tasuku muttered, somewhat glaring at the staircase.

'I think I know who he might be seeing…' Zanya thought to himself as he entered his room and shut the door behind him. Unbeknownst to any of them, a pair of eyes was watching them from the kitchen window…

* * *

><p><strong>Dammit I'm giving myself chills just writing this... *scarred by horror movies* Well, that's it for the third chapter! Please leave a review on my story and tell me what needs to be improved! Thank you! See you next chapter!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

Zanya's in a pinch.

He's playing his usual Buddyfight, trying to survive his opponent's turn. Suddenly, his opponent calls a monster to the center. And his mind starts to swirl.

"I call Armorknight Yusaka to the center!"

Yusaka.

That name rewinds itself in his head. Not because Yusaka is a female monster. Not because she is the key to his defeat. But because the monster is his long deceased sister.

What's worse for the boy was that the monster didn't have her normal features, but a terribly scarred body, single-eyed, blood dripping figure.

His eyes were locked onto her, just wanting so badly to scream. Then, he shut them tightly.

"Yusaka, attack him!"

His eyes shot open, only to see her about to grab him with her sharp, over-grown fingernails. He screamed.

* * *

><p>"Hah, hah, hah…" He woke up with cold sweat all over him, panting.<p>

'That was a touch too real,' he thought as he looked down at his blanket, now sitting up. He was about to turn his body to get off his bed when he heard a shriek too loud to be from sleep talking.

Something was wrong.

He swung open his door and took quick steps to the bathroom. He saw Kuguru clenching onto the sink, shaking with fear. She looked at him slowly while panting heavily.

"Kuguru, what's wrong?" he asked softly. She blinked a few times, still shaking.

"I… I saw…" she said, suddenly shutting her eyes and increasing her grip on the sink.

"You don't need to tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

She released her grip on the white marble sink, instead latching herself onto Zanya, sobbing into his pyjamas. He stroked her softly on the head, patting her back before he led her into his room.

"Don't worry about it, just go to sleep," he told her, releasing her arms so she could sit on his single bed.

"Don't you need to sleep?" she asked him, calming down.

"No, not really. I feel like I need to stay awake for some reason," he replied. Kuguru suddenly felt uneasy; there was no light around her.

"Um, Zanya? Could you leave your table lamp on? I'm not used to darkness…" she requested. Zanya gave her a nod and flicked the switch.

"Get some rest." She smiled at him and shut her eyes.

* * *

><p>"No!" he heard after Kuguru fell asleep. A shriek rang through and Zanya's focus shifted to his door. A sudden, uneasy feeling engulfed him as the wheels in his brain started to turn.<p>

'Tasuku just screamed…'

He felt an urge to just rush down and inspect. It could have been nothing more than a nightmare, sure, but it could be something else.

Supernatural, maybe?

But a return shriek from Jin indicated that it was just a really, really bad nightmare, cause Zanya heard every single word Jin used to shout at Tasuku.

"What the hell is up with you?! Don't you know people need to sleep?! Seriously…" he scolded Tasuku. But if Tasuku did reply to Jin, Zanya didn't hear it.

The indigo haired boy just hoped that what he heard was correct; Tasuku just had a really bad nightmare, nothing more.

* * *

><p>Morning came and Gao woke up tired; last night's sleep wasn't pleasant at all. He heard screams, door creaks, even a little argument. Not a pleasant way to start the day.<p>

Just then, Tetsuya sat up, rubbing his eye.

"Tetsuya, did you sleep well?" Gao asked.

"How could you expect me to sleep?!" Tetsuya answered. "Last night was whack, yo!"

"I know. I woke up in the middle of the night, too," Gao said, getting off his bed.

"Did you hear Kuguru?" Tetsuya asked.

"Yeah. She was really loud. I think I heard Zanya comfort her a little too," Gao replied. Tetsuya got off his bed and looked at the other with a serious face; something he never really had unless something was really wrong.

"I think there's something going on."

* * *

><p>Kuguru awoke to find Zanya hands on the table, his head rested on them, sleeping. She chuckled a little.<p>

'I thought he said he would stay awake,' she thought. Taking a few steps towards him, she suddenly decided to not wake him and just go back to her own room. Kazane would be up by now, right?

She stepped into the girls' room and saw Megumi awake instead, reading a book while Kazane slept.

"Good morning, Megumi."

"Oh, hey," she replied. "Where did you go last night?"

"Zanya's." Megumi nodded.

"I think I heard Tasuku shout in the middle of the night," Megumi told her. Kuguru, thinking Megumi mistook her shriek with Tasuku, immediately opened her mouth to explain, but Megumi cut her off.

"I heard you too. Both you guys screamed."

"So… you're saying Tasuku…?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Kuguru went back to Zanya's room immediately to find the boy waking up, still sitting in the seat.

"Did you hear Tasuku last night?" Zanya blinked at her and nodded slowly. Kuguru was shocked; why on earth would Tasuku even be scared? All that came to her was that he had a nightmare, but that was it. No other possibility came to mind.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until nine in the morning when everyone other than Tasuku finally finished washing up. The Boy Wonder slept in late, but the others didn't seem to care that much, they knew he had to sleep a little more. Even breakfast was served before Zanya decided that Tasuku had to be waken up.<p>

Stepping into the dimly lit room, Zanya took a quick glance before he walked over to Tasuku's bedside. The Boy Wonder was sleeping, though not entirely peacefully. Something was still bothering him, even in his sleep.

"Tasuku, wake up. It's almost half past nine," Zanya called, shaking Tasuku a little. Still sleeping, Tasuku turned over on his side, facing away from Zanya. The indigo haired one simply shook him a little harder, still attempting to get Tasuku up. A small, passport-sized photo suddenly slipped from Tasuku's blanket.

It was a picture of his sister. The one he saw in his dreams.

How did that get there and why was it with Tasuku? He looked at it for ten seconds or so before shoving it in his pocket.

Just then, Tasuku's eyes fluttered open, ruby orbs meeting with golden ones. Hardly noticeable, but a tint of pink suddenly coloured Zanya's ears and cheeks.

"What time is it?" Tasuku asked, sounding a little sleepy.

"A-around half past nine, already," Zanya replied. Tasuku, without knowing what he was doing, latched onto Zanya and almost nodded off. Zanya didn't know whether to squeal with delight or with embarrassment.

"I-I think you should wash up," Zanya told him. Tasuku let go of him, grabbed his towel and took slow steps to the bathroom, dragging his feet on the ground.

'I really don't know if I should be happy or freaked out by him…' he thought as he calmed himself down before joining the others at the dining table.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there you have it! I know it isn't much yet, but hopefully it will be soon! Anyways, sorry about the long waiting time and short chapters, but I can't seem to break away from school at all, so I can't write much. Oh well. As usual, read, leave a review if you wish and bye!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

It had almost been a day for them, nearing 5 in the evening. They were still down at the beach, lively as ever. The multi-coloured ball never stopped bouncing back and forth between the friends, but sometimes it would bounce off course right at Zanya and Tasuku, and they would also smack or throw the ball right back.

"Zanya! Coming your way!" Gao exclaimed. The other boy simply sent the beach ball flying back to the lion-headed boy with one swift hit, waving before sitting back down under the parasol he shared with the light blue haired 7th grader.

"Tasuku, I think it's fair to say that last night something happened," Zanya said as he took a sip from his drink, looking at the other. Tasuku felt cold sweat run down his back as he glanced back at Zanya nervously, trying to find the words to answer him.

"A nightmare happened. That's all," he replied.

"Are you aware that this picture was with you?" He pulled out the small sized photo and showed it to Tasuku, who simply looked at it blankly.

"I wasn't. I had no idea. Who is that anyway?" Tasuku asked as he racked his brain, trying to remember where he had seen that girl before. He knew he had.

"My deceased sister," Zanya replied, putting away the photo in his pocket.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I've gotten over it. It's been a really long time since I've thought of her."

"Still, it must hurt," Tasuku said, looking at the indigo-haired boy stand up from where he was sitting.

"I guess it sort of does."

* * *

><p>"Guys, what do you think so far?" Tetsuya asked at dinner.<p>

"Other than Tasuku getting hurt, it's been awesome here," Gao answered. Baku nodded in agreement.

"But how exactly did you get those sharp cuts, bro? You just went into the water to grab the ball," Baku asked, directing all the attention to Tasuku, who looked slightly uncomfortable at it. Zanya, noticing this, spoke up.

"I would start the explanation, but answer this first. Do you believe in the supernatural? And if you don't, just keep an open mind about what I'm going to say," he said. The others, whether nodding to his question or to his condition, all looked at him with curious eyes, seemingly pressing an answer out of him.

"I think what Tasuku is going through is simply because of something from the past. My past," he told them. Kuguru, Baku, Kiri, and the two 7th graders aside from Tasuku seemed to be able to get a grasp of what the indigo haired boy was saying, while the others simply stared.

"In other words, this place is haunted," he stated bluntly.

"But how can it be?" Kazane, Gao and Tetsuya all asked at once.

"If I were to explain, don't look at me the wrong way," Zanya told them. Everyone paused and looked at him, not out of anticipation but more out of a tinge of fear.

What could he possibly have to say?

* * *

><p>"Were you serious?" Gao asked Zanya after he dragged the other out of his room. Almost everyone was heading to bed but Gao wanted to talk.<p>

"Why would I lie about serious shit like that?"

* * *

><p>"<em>It happened about… hmm… 6 or 7 years ago. I had an older sister," Zanya started.<em>

"_Had?" Gao asked curiously. Looks like he wasn't the only one suffering a loss of a family member._

"_Idiot. It means she died." Gao nodded at the other._

"_She started to act strange, if that's what you call it. I don't really know, to be honest. I think she started to see things."_

_The others looked at him as he paused for a deep breath._

"_It kept on going like this for almost a year."_

_The others were kept on the edge of their seats when Megumi decided to break the silence._

"_Let me guess. She was seeing things about you, horrifying things I take it." Zanya nodded._

"_Spot on. Like I said earlier, 6 or 7 years ago, we came here. I think it was during the winter back then," he said, clenching his own clothes. _

"_On the third night, she acted really strange." He paused there while the others leaned in forward except for Tasuku._

"_Outside, there's a cliff," he said, pointing out of the window. A cliff was there, but there was quite a distance between the house and it._

"_She walked there, I guess, under some kind of control. Noticing, I ran towards her repeatedly shouting out her name. It didn't work."_

"_So, what happened?" Kiri asked, interrupting Zanya a little. Tasuku felt uneasy listening to all this; that night was already their second._

"_She stopped at the cliff for a brief second. Foolish me, I thought she snapped out of it," he said, slapping himself hard on the forehead. Baku and Kuguru flinched._

"_But really, she turned to look at me. I… didn't expect what was coming next," he told, his voice cracking a little._

"_She said, 'It's all your fault! Why would you come and disturb us you demon!'" He pushed up his glasses and took a really deep breath._

"_I paused at her words, but it didn't really sink in at the time. I didn't understand what she meant when she said it then, but it's all clear now. She was saying that I came as a threat to the family," he told them, correcting himself after. "No, that's too mild."_

"_Zanya, you don't need to go on," Kuguru said to him, clenching onto Gao's jacket._

"_Doesn't matter. Might as well finish this story since I started. She stared at me for the longest time, and tears welled up in her eyes. When I took a step forward, she opened her mouth and said, 'Demon, take me and leave Akatsuki be. Please.' Then she jumped," he finally finished, closing his eyes._

"_So she called you a demon," Jin said._

"_Wanted Akatsuki to be safe," Baku continued._

"_And she thought the only way for that to happen was-" Kiri thought out loud._

"_To sacrifice herself?" Kuguru finished with a question. Zanya nodded._

"_In a nutshell."_

"_So then, do you believe her? About yourself being a-" Tetsuya asked._

"_No. Not entirely anyway. I feel myself bringing bad luck to my brother once in a while, but not to the extent of being a supernatural being from the underworld."_

"_Tasuku? You're awfully silent right now," Gao called out, shocking the other out of his daze._

"_Isn't tonight the second night?" the light blue haired one asked as he looked up._

"_Yes," Jin said. Tasuku stood up from his seat._

"_If I happen to do anything stupid tomorrow night, I don't think you guys can stop me." Everyone fell silent at those words as they watched him walk out of the room to his own._

"_If something really happens to him tomorrow, we have to stop him."_

* * *

><p>"Zanya, do you think something's really going to happen tomorrow?"<p>

"Honestly, I don't know. But I wish she'd leave us in peace right now." Gao nodded.

"Goodnight. I think we both need to rest."

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like I'm going to be a murderer by the end of the story *shudder* Anyway, if you guys would be so kind, leave a review of what you think, ok? Thanks for reading my story!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

In the middle of the night…

"Master calls. I will obey. Master calls. I will obey. Master…" These words kept echoing in Zanya's head, over and over again. He didn't know if he should even be thinking about it, but he was anyway.

'Yusaka, please leave him alone…' he thought to himself.

Just then, there were knocks on his door. Immediately, he turned his attention towards it. Slowly, he inched his way towards it, but just as he was about to turn the doorknob, he paused.

Something didn't… feel right. As if an extra presence was in his room.

The angry mob of butterflies inside him was getting worse and worse. He tried to ignore it, but somewhere in his sanity he felt a leak.

His sanity was slipping away right there and then.

'There's nothing behind me… There's nothing behind me… There's nothing behind me…' he kept repeating silently but he couldn't move from his spot back to his bed. He stood there, right in front of the door, frozen in fear.

And the next thing he did just related him to a full-blown horror movie.

He stole a glance from his mirror.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?!"<p>

He was sitting in his bed, again, waken up from a nightmare.

'Hold on a second. I shouldn't even be mentioning… hell.'

He looked around and saw that his table lamp was on like the night before when Kuguru had wanted light around her. He was about to turn it off when he stopped himself from getting out of bed.

'You know what? I'm just going to leave that damn thing on,' he muttered. But something about his dream felt a little too real.

He wished he was imagining things, he really wished he was, because the feeling of having an extra presence in the room surfaced in him again. He dived under his blanket and willed himself to fall asleep. Luckily he did, because he would have screamed if he felt the hand leave a clean, blood-dripping scar on his neck.

* * *

><p>Morning came and Jin felt something was amiss. Something warm. Something like… his blanket.<p>

He thought Tasuku would have taken it in the middle of the night as a minor prank, but found only a single layer covering the Boy Wonder. He continued to search the room, and suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something blue with red stains laid out on the floor just outside the kitchen.

Hastily, he walked out the kitchen door and into the backyard, where the clothes line was. He took a good look at the piece of cloth, and indeed, it was his blanket. A weird, signature-like sign was left on it in the form of a massive blood stain.

"This mark just looks creepy." He rushed in afterwards and gathered anyone who was awake and dragged them out to see for themselves.

"Does anyone else think that she left this here?" Gao asked. Almost everyone nodded, but Kuguru just felt extremely bothered by something else.

"Is Zanya still asleep?" she wondered out loud. They turned to look at her, Gao opening his mouth to answer when Kuguru just dashed back into the house frantically, a bad feeling churning in her gut.

Going up the steps two at a time, she forgot her manners and just burst into his room, knowing that slowing down and knocking wouldn't change anything anyway. He looked alright at first glance, the only thing was his slightly paler than usual complexion, so she relaxed a little.

Taking slow steps towards him, she still couldn't shake the bad feeling she had before. Something was still wrong no matter how 'alright' he looked. Scanning him with her eyes alone, she noticed a tint of dark red that didn't belong with his bed sheet or pillow casing.

She drew her conclusion. Blood was the answer.

She tilted his head to the side a little, noticing a clean cut wound running from the side back part of his neck to just a little before the front. At that time, the others were already standing at the door, looking at her little inspection.

"Guys, I think…" she started off but Kazane lifted a finger, pointing it at Zanya. His eyes twitched a little, and he opened them.

Kuguru turned and saw him wince as he sat up, staring at them standing at his doorway. His hand reached for his sore neck.

"Arrgh…" He was in pain, she decided.

"We all think there's something you need to see," Gao mumbled as his eyes turned from Zanya to Tasuku for a second, and he froze.

"What is it, Gao?" Kiri asked, taking a look at the spot Gao was staring at. They both saw traces of blood on his fingertips.

"W-why do you have blood on your hand, senpai?!" Kiri burst out and everyone turned to stare at Tasuku. He brought up both his hands; only the left had blood tinted on the fingernails. And the others' attention was divided between him and Zanya, who looked completely scarred as the boy pushed his long indigo hair back; feeling the wound all over again, with a dash of confusion and hurt threw Tasuku's way. Both had no idea what to think of the other.

Tasuku looked ready to apologize for a matter he didn't know he did, but Zanya lifted a hand, stopping him. "Let me clear my head," he added as an afterthought. Walking over to the bathroom to check, he took close looks in the mirror and found the wound to be quite close to the vital veins, luckily it didn't hit.

"Yusaka, are you trying to kill me?" he muttered softly. Heck, the thought of his own sibling, the soul of her anyway, possibly wanting him dead made him hug himself tightly, hoping she wasn't around to prove it.

* * *

><p>"Tasuku-senpai, why do you have blood on your hand? Did you hurt him?" Kazane asked rather innocently, her voice trembling in a way. She didn't, no couldn't believe that Tasuku had actually did it himself.<p>

"I don't know," Tasuku answered. "I can't remember anything."

"Maybe she's at work? Have you thought over it?" Megumi suggested to him suddenly, shaking him a little. He didn't like the idea of being someone else's puppet, especially some supernatural freak who intends to harm his friends. His hand reached for the bandages Zanya forgot to replace the night before.

"That's the only possibility, unfortunately," Kuguru muttered, turning her attention away from every single one of them. Nobody expected something like this to actually happen; it was supposed to be a harmless vacation.

Tasuku heard soft crying coming from the bathroom.


	7. Chapter 7

His hands finally unwrapped, falling back to his sides before he turned the tap, allowing the water to flow right out. He washed his face. Water, if not the touch of it, at least he liked the sound of it gushing out, a beautifully purifying melody, or so he said.

The door's hinges moaned slightly as he opened them. He knew his own appearance; bloodshot eyes from crying and lips still rather stiff in a downward curve. He must've been in there for quite long, because the others had already left the upstairs, probably having a silent breakfast at the dining table.

Sighing, he shut his door and put on some clothes. His entire body felt quite heavy, but at least that gave him an excuse to sit in his room and think.

Tasuku wouldn't have wanted to hurt him on his own, so he knew Yusaka was still behind it. But he clearly remembered that she wanted him and Akatsuki to be safe, without anything tying them down, so why the heck would she want to harm him? It didn't make sense, but soon it would, because things just went even further downhill.

* * *

><p>(Sorry about this, but I'm time-skipping to night time, where I'll end my story. There's nothing to say about the day anyway.)<p>

Staring out into the bright reddish evening sky, he constantly twirled his glasses in a circular motion in his right hand, thinking about and calculating the possibilities. The third night was coming, very soon in fact, and he could feel something ultimately unpleasant churning within him. Everyone was far too shaken up about the night before that they all stayed in the house, leaving the beach empty for the day.

He was an idiot for giving in to their pestering about going to a place they didn't know had a past; now look where it's gotten them. If only he had a strong will Tasuku wouldn't be at risk.

Damn his perseverance.

Just as he sighed to himself, soft knocks were heard on his door.

"Zanya, dinner's ready," Kuguru told him from outside. He put on his glasses.

"Come in. Is Tasuku alright?" he asked without looking at her. She muffled a soft, slightly unsure yes to answer him. He nodded.

"I suppose everyone's worried." Kuguru told him to go down soon before she left.

"Please, Yusaka." He sighed and crossed his fingers at the setting sun.

* * *

><p>Tasuku felt uneasy with all the attention he was given. Throughout the meal, he silently hoped that they -his friends- would give him a little space and freedom. He was still in his right mind then.<p>

"Guys, your stares are obvious," he pointed out. They didn't seem bothered by his statement though.

"We know, Tasuku. But do you think we're going to let you out of our sight?" they shot back at him.

Outside, she stared into them, burning her eyes into Tasuku. Under her breath, she repeated, "Give in to me. You're only going to hurt them if you stay. Give in to me. You're only going to hurt them if you stay. Give in to me. You're only going to hurt them if you stay…" Faster and faster she spoke, to the point where it became nothing more than a soft murmur, that Tasuku slowly lost it.

'Ugh, what's this feeling in my head?' he thought. He felt tired and his head felt heavy. A sudden urge overtook him and he started to eat almost twice as fast, dying to get away from his friends. As if he heard her calling.

"I'll be doing my dishes now…" he told them, taking his plate and soup bowl to the kitchen. The thing was, he never intended to wash them. All he did was leave them in the sink. Silently, he slipped out the back door, got out of the fence and started walking. What was scary was that his eyes turned dull; they lost their crimson shade, replaced with a monotonous black. The cliff was merely up ahead.

* * *

><p>Zanya's left hand propped up his face while his right fed him. The bites he took out of the food before him were gradually becoming smaller, and he seemed to slow down. His gaze was fixed out the window, and he saw a shade of light-blue. He used the lens on his glasses to zoom in.<p>

Tasuku!

Instinctively, he turned to look at the kitchen. Sure Tasuku had left the lights on, but his dishes were still in the sink and he was gone. Zanya immediately rose from his seat at the table and started running. The others noticed after him, but Yusaka seemed to have them trapped in the house, as if an invisible wall was preventing them from stepping out.

"Shit!"

"What the heck is this?!"

"We're trapped! Trapped I tell you!"

"F*** this…"

"Tasuku-senpai!"

"If this is some kind of a joke, it's not a single damn bit funny."

Comments were thrown around, some more… mature than the others, but Kuguru kept silent, her fingers crossed.

"Tasuku… snap out of it… please... for all of us."

* * *

><p>Zanya ran.<p>

Tasuku walked.

Tasuku had a head start.

Who was faster?

(Think about it and keep the answer in your head. Then, continue on.)

Zanya was running to catch up.

Tasuku was walking like a captured prisoner forced to walk the plank.

Tasuku had a major head start.

Of course, Zanya was faster than the boy, but he found himself struggling to reach the other before he stepped a step too far.

'Ugh, dammit… And I thought I was fast,' he thought, only a few metres away from Tasuku. Well, Tasuku was also a few metres from the edge.

Zanya picked up his pace just a little more and grabbed Tasuku's left arm, jerking him from his course. Of course, he needed a little more distance to stop, therefore pulling Tasuku closer to the edge. Right now, he was standing in between Tasuku and the other side, teetering on the fine edge that separated them.

"It's no use. You can't stop him."

Zanya jolted from that, a shiver sent down his spine. The sky became darker all of a sudden; the sun had finished its daily routine. His eyes darted all around, looking for that certain someone. Then, he laid eyes on the police officer and noticed his eyes a dull grey, stiff as a statue. He placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.

"Tasuku, wake up…" he muttered, voice going soft. The other, however, had no response at all.

"You don't get it, do you? He's my mindless puppet."

Zanya felt weak when he heard those harsh words.

"Please… don't say things like that about Tasuku…"

"Face it, little brother." A figure appeared beside them both, her arms crossed. Zanya gave her a pleading look.

"Don't take him away from us…" She sighed in the harshest way possible.

"Why can't you understand? He is mine and mine alone."

Zanya shut his lips bitterly. Was he really just going to give Tasuku over? Give up? At that moment, a question came to his mind.

"If you were after him all along, then why did you harm me?" She sighed.

"Do you know what is 'cracking under pressure'?" He nodded.

"Good. Then you know what I'm talking about. Your friend, or should I say idol, is quite strong willed. I must compliment him for that. But because of his will, I think he's the most suited to help me with what I need."

Zanya stared at her.

"I need his help because something I wasn't expecting happened. Remember a few years back, I told you that you had some kind of demon spirit or whatever? Yeah, turns out Akatsuki had one too. So when I jumped, both of them came at me at the same time. One sacrifice isn't enough for two, is it now?"

Zanya shook his head.

"Looks like you can take in information rather well without freaking out. Let's see a little more of this… could I say, ability?"

Zanya shook his head again. He didn't want to know anymore. Still, she continued.

"I just need Tasuku's help with one, that's all. I'm not going to do anything else. Enjoy the rest of your life, I won't bother you."

"You can't… you can't take him!"

"Then what the hell do you want me to do?!"

Zanya stayed silent like a child that just got scolded by his teacher. She shook her head. They both had no idea what to do or say anymore.

"Good bye, brother," she finally said, breaking the silence. Tasuku started to take steps forward. Zanya had his head facing the ground, silently clinging onto Tasuku's arm, still unwilling to let go. At that moment, the colour in the buddy cop's eyes turned back to their beautiful crimson shade slightly. He whispered to the other.

"Just let go, it'll be alright." Zanya shook his head.

"Not without you," he managed, tears gathering. Couldn't Tasuku see that they needed him? The crimson in his eyes seemed to be fading slowly, the grey returning. Zanya couldn't hold back.

"Could you not leave…?" That sounded too innocent, of course Yusaka wouldn't let go. But he had to ask.

"Zanya…"

And that was it. Zanya forced himself to forget what happened next. His selective memory remembered that the last thing Tasuku said to him was his name.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel like this is where I should end it, feels good to me in a way. And I bet, without me having to say it, you can figure how it ended. So sorry about being so late on updating, but I couldn't find time at all with the monthly tests happening all at once, and I'm in a competitive class T-T Still I had to find time to write this. Thanks for reading, tell me what you think if you'd like, and happy Chinese New Year everyone!<strong>


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